Stuart Rothenberg in Roll Call:

Sometimes, politics involves Machiavellian manipulation and elaborate scenarios based on risky judgments and hard-to-decipher bits of information. Other times, it’s so patently obvious what to do that it’s hard to understand why politicians choose an alternative route.
Presented with a rare opportunity to send a message about change and reform, House Republicans seem ready, instead, to send a message of continuity by selecting Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt (R) as Majority Leader.
Personally, I like Blunt. He has been around long enough to know which way is up, and he has a personable, low-key style that makes him seem both approachable and thoughtful. And his main competitor, the always engaging and interesting Ohio Rep. John Boehner (R), didn’t exactly fall off the turnip truck yesterday…
But if Republicans think they can turn the page on former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) by sticking with Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Blunt as Majority Leader and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) as Majority Whip, they must be wearing rose-colored glasses.